Elastic tire.



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j 1f y THE NCRRS FETERS CU FNOO-LIXHO WASHINGTON D C UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDGAR M. BIRDSALL, OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK, SSIGNOR TO DE WITT VH. BOTHWELL, OF TOLEDO, OHIO.

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SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 640,863, dated January 9, 1900.

I Application led November 2, 1899. .Steriallil'ol 735,564. (No model.)

T0 a/ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDGAR M. BIRDsALL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Buffalo, in the county of Erie and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Elastic Tires, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to elastic tires for the wheels of carriages and other vehicles, and more particularly to tires of this class which comprise a number of segmental sections or blocks of practically solid india-rubber and metallic sockets-or holders in which the blocks are confined and which are secured to the periphery of the wheel rim or felly.

One of the objects of my invention is to interlock the blocks with their sockets in such a manner that the blocks are prevented from being compressed or displaced lengthwise in their sockets by dragging over the ground or striking obstructions, thereby avoiding pulling out of the blocks.

Another' object of my invention is to so construct the elastic blocks that they are cornpressed within their sockets or holders, so as to reliably retain the same in place.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure lis a fragmentary side elevation, partly in section, of a wheel rim or felly provided with my improved tire. Fig. 2 is a top plan view thereof, partly in section. Fig. 3 is a detached longitudinal section of one of the block-sockets. Fig. tris a cross-section thereof in line 4 4, Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a cross-section in line 5 5, Fig. l. Fig. 6 is a detached side elevation of one of the rubber blocks. Fig. 7 is a bottom plan View thereof. Fig. 8 is a cross-section similar to Fig. 5, showing the form of the bottom of the blockbefore the same is flattened against the wheel-rim. Fig. 9 is a bottom plan view of one of the blocksockets. Fig. 10 is a transverse section similar to Fig. 5, showing a modified arrangement of the interlocking lugs and recesses of the rubber blocks and their sockets.

Like letters of reference refer to like parts in the several figures.

A is the usual wooden felly of the wheel,and B the metallic band or tire, which is shrunk l upon the felly and secured thereto in the customary manner.

C are the elastic blocks or sections which form the tire and which consist of rubber or other suitable material.

D are the metallic holders or sockets which receive and confine the blocks C and which rest against the outer surface of the metallic band or tire, the blocks projecting beyond thesockets in the usual manner to form the sectional tire. These sockets D are oblong or rectangular in form and consist of side Walls d and end walls cl. The side Walls of each socket are provided at their inner edges with ears d2, which overlap the sides of the felly A and the metallic band B, and the socket is secured to the felly by transverse screws or bolts d3, which pass through the felly and the ears d2, as shown in Figs. l and 5. The rubber blocks are preferably widened or enlarged toward their bases and their bottom or bases rest against the periphery of the metallic tire B. The end and side walls of the sockets D are beveled or converged outwardly to correspond to the beveled sides and ends of Vthe blocks, as shown in Figs. 3, 4, and 5. Each block is interlocked with its socket by a row or number of independent lugs or projections e., arranged on the base portion of .the block at its sides and ends and fitting into corresponding recesses or depressions f, formed in the inner sides of the sockets, as shown in Figs. 2 and 5. These interlocking lugs and recesses not only prevent withdrawal of the blocks from their sockets, but also resist compression and displacement of the blocks in the direction of their length. When the blocks are confined in their sockets by continuous base-flanges and a block is dragged along the ground from any cause or strikes an obstruction which tends to compress the same lengthwise,such base-flanges offer no resistance to compression, rendering the block liable to be pulled or twisted out of its socket. By interlocking the blocks with their sockets by a number of independent lugs and corresponding recesses, as shown, the lugs resist compression of the blocks under the abovei mentioned conditions, thereby preventing Figs. 6 and 8, and are constructed to snugly lit against the Walls of the sockets before the sockets, wi th the blocks arranged therein, are applied to the wheel-rim. By this construction when the sockets are placed against the periphery of the metallic tire B the blocks bear against the latter only at their salient central portions or ridges g', as shown in Fig. 8, in Whichgposition of the blocks the boltholes of the socket-ears d2 are out of register with the bolt-holes of the folly. Upon now pressing the socket inwardly suiiciently to bring these holes in line for receiving the screws or bolts cl3 the convex bottom of the block is compressed and flattened against the' periphery of the metallic tire B. This iiattening of the convex bottom causes the base portion of the block to spread or expand and impinge firmly against the surrounding Walls of the socket, thereby tightly securing the block in its socket. The convex bottom of each block preferably has the form of a prism with beveled ends, as shown in Figs. 6 and 7 by which construction the base portion of the block is expanded lengthwise against the end walls of the sockets and crosswise against the side walls thereof.

As the various blocksconstituting the elastic tire are separate and independent of one another, a block can be readily detached from the Wheel-rim for repairing or renewing the same, and as readily replaced, without disturbing. the adjacent blocks. This is easily done by removing the two screws or bolts d5 of the block-socket.

ber of independent lugs or projections which interlock with corresponding recesses formed in the other part, substantially as set forth.

2. In a sectional elastic tire, the combination with a socket or holder adapted to be secured to' a wheel rim or folly and provided in the inner side of its side walls with a row of independent ,recesses or depressions, of a block arranged in said socket and havin gits base portion provided in opposite sides with lugs or projections -wliich `interlock with the recesses of said socket, substantially as set forth.

3. In a sectional elastic tire, the combination with a socket or holder adapted to be secured to a wheel rim or felly of an elastic block havingits base portion con ned in said block and provided with a convex bottom adapted to be attened against the periphery of the Wheel-rim for expanding the base portion of the block against the snrroundin g Walls of said socket, substantially as set forth.

4. In a sectional elastic tire, the combination with asocket or holder adapted to be secured to a Wheel rim or felly, of an elastic block having its base portion confined in said block and provided with a prismatic bottom adapted to be attened against the Wheelrim, substantially as set forth.

Witness my hand this 25th day of October, 1899.

EDGAR M. BIRDSALL.

Witnesses:

JN0. J. RUNNER, CLAUDIA. M. BENTLEY. 

